HUSD board hires new executive directors

Well-put-together hiring committees, says board president

The Humboldt Unified School District Governing Board unanimously approved the hiring of two new executive director positions at its meeting on Tuesday, June 13, hiring Patty Bitsilly as the new executive director for special education services and Robert Bueche as the new executive director for federal programs and federal improvement. Both positions were for the 2017-18 school year, said Superintendent Dan Streeter.

The selection committee that hired Bitsilly consisted of eight different people and included teachers, psychologists and administrators choosing from five completed applications, Streeter said, noting that she was chosen as one of two selected from those five applications.

Bitsilly is a fantastic candidate chosen to fill some very important shoes, said Board President Richard Adler.

“That position is a critical, critical position in any school district and Patty will represent this extremely well,” Adler said, adding he wanted to thank all the members involved in the interviewing process.

As for the committee that hired Bueche, it had seven different members, including administrators, teachers and other classified staff, Streeter said. Out of six applications, three were selected and Bueche was chosen, he said, stating that while Bueche is from Michigan, his wife is originally from Arizona.

Governing Board Member Paul Ruwald spoke highly of Bueche, calling him very energetic and excited to begin working for the district.

Though he didn’t get to meet Bueche, the process used to make the selections is a great one, Adler said.

“The committees are well put together,” he said. “I see who was on this committee and it was obviously a great list of folks who help do this.”